Ruqayyah Boyer crowned Miss Guyana Universe

Amid controversy at the Princess Hotel and Casino in the wee hours of Sunday, delegate number five, Suriname born Ruqayyah Boyer was crowned Miss Guyana Universe 2012 to the amusement of the hundreds who remained to the end.
Boyer will be representing Guyana in The Dominican Republic later in the year. The newly-crowned queen immediately after winning the crown stated that she was ecstatic to have won the coveted title, and assured Guyanese that she will be representing Guyana with poise and grace at the international pageant in December. She thinks that she has the stamina, brain, and beauty to make Guyana proud.

Boyer, who hails from the mining town of Linden, also highlighted that she did not expect to win the pageant, noting that her biggest rival was contestant number one Niketa Barker, who she thought was leading the contest.
The newly-crowned queen won the Miss Linden Town Week Pageant in 2012 and was also a finalist in the 2011 Miss Guyana World Pageant. Boyer outshone four other finalists during the question-and-answer segment of the pageant.
She was asked to name one role model who is not a family member and give a reason for her response.
In response, she said that her role model is Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes since she would like to one day win the international title.
The newly-crowned queen won herself Gy$ 400,000 in cash; an all-expenses paid trip to The Dominican Republic for the Miss Universe Pageant; a complete wardrobe; other trips to Caribbean destinations, among other prizes.
Niketa Barker was adjudged the first runner-up while Sadhna Yunus was awarded the second runner-up spot, with Nikeshia Alexander taking the third runner-up position and Faydena King copping the fourth runner-up position.
Delegate number four, Eumani Bourne was awarded the Miss Congeniality prize.

Barker, who was a front runner in the pageant from the beginning of the competition, was awarded the Best Smile and Body Beautiful prizes, but her supporters were left with their heads bowed as she stumbled on her final question. They cheered lustily as she flaunted her body in the swim-suit segment and more so when she appeared for the evening gown display, but immediately after her answer to the question, they pulled themselves into a corner with hands to their jaws in disappointment.
Miss Guyana Universe 2011 Kara Lord and Miss Universe Leila Lopes crowned and sashed the new queen. Lord also took her last walk as Miss Guyana Universe 2011 to huge cheers and applause.
The judges of the pageant were Steve Ninvalle, Roger Gary, Candace Lindo, Ulex Atwell-Fung, Paul Burnette, Rawle Ferguson, Richard Younge, Basil Joseph, Shermaine Joseph, and Chris Sammy.